It sure looks like Ted Benavides intends to destroy
this city and make it impossible for his successor to turn things around.
He is being assisted in his devious plans by Our Mayor's change of priorities
and meddling.

We have a City Manager form of government. Our Mayor refuses to accept the
limitations of her office. She knows she can't get the votes to change our
system to a Strong Mayor government. If she successfully gets a Charter
Review Commission, she knows she could not control the results or
recommendations. We would wind up with a recommendation that we create 14
boroughs where the council rep makes all the decisions and controls staffing and
service distribution. Not that much different than we have now.

Our City Attorney does not recognize or perform her responsibility to counsel
Our Mayor or the council on the limitations of their respective offices.

Our City MisManager has been acting like the top Assistant City Manager since
Con Jerk gave him the job -- after John Ware took his payoff on the arena deal
and jumped ship. It worked under Con Jerk (to an extent) because he
completely dominated his counsel. Con Jerk didn't care about making
everyone love him.

Con Jerk made it clear those who crossed him would be
cut off at the knees -- if they were White.

Citizen D:I don't feel as if we really disagree, but it really
was not Bolton who cost us $13M. It was our Council and the City Attorney's
Office.I could support Bolton in his
demotions and dismissals in an effort to avoid things like the fake drug
scandal. Where he and I will always disagree is on the fundamental point
--If you can dismiss an "at will" official
for your convenience, you as an "at will"
official can be dismissed "AS WELL". This is where Bolton lost
credibility. I really expected him to do what his command staff would not
--
LEAVE!! Quietly and with dignity. The resignation Benavides
offered him would have been the win-win choice.
At that point, being right or seeking justice was so NOT THE POINT! However, the City Council
fundamentally should have taken the officers'
lawsuits to court and prevailed there. It is now
critically important that one of the top 10 interview questions asked
is, "Do you understand what 'at will employment' means"? Then,
require a 100 word essay on it (smile). I admire you for your diligence
in keeping the rest of us informed. I worry you may be reporting "Live from
the Titanic" (smile) at times. I really want things to work out and try to
do my part to make the city better, but as I learn
more and more about how our city is indeed being mismanaged, I am not very
hopeful.Thanks for all you do!

We have a City Manager form of government. Our Mayor refuses to accept the
limitations of her office. She knows she can't get the votes to change our
system to a Strong Mayor government. If she successfully gets a Charter
Review Commission, she knows she could not control the results or
recommendations. We would wind up with a recommendation that we create 14
boroughs where the council rep makes all the decisions and controls staffing and
service distribution. Not that much different than we have now.

Our City Attorney does not recognize or perform her responsibility to counsel
Our Mayor or the council on the limitations of their respective offices.

Our City MisManager has been acting like the top Assistant City Manager since
Con Jerk gave him the job -- after John Ware took his payoff on the arena deal
and jumped ship. It worked under Con Jerk (to an extent) because he
completely dominated his counsel. Con Jerk didn't care about making
everyone love him. Con Jerk made it clear those who crossed him would be
cut off at the knees -- if they were White.

When Donna Blumer and Larry Duncan supported the late Charlotte Mayes for Deputy
Mayor ProTem over Chris Luna, Con Jerk forgave Charlotte and the other minority
council members who successfully supported her. They were allowed to be
chairs or vice chairs of various committees. Blumer and Duncan were shut
out of any committee leads and actually were denied appointments to several
committees that directly impacted their districts. He was equally hard on
Laura Miller.

While Ron Kirk was Mayor, Benavides acted like Con Jerk was the City Manager and
did his bidding and followed his orders, like he was still an Asst. Manager.
So much for City Manager vs. Strong Mayor government. Benavides does
not do Laura Miller's bidding and ignores her orders, but he still acts like an
Asst. City Manager waiting for someone's instructions.

This mess with selecting a new Police Chief is just more of Our Mayor's meddling
and the City Manager not managing.

For a couple of weeks, the word is out that Danny Garcia will be the next Chief
of Police. Garcia did not make consulting firm's list (which firm was
selected by the City MisManager). See Chief Rick Stone:
What Dallas needs in a Chief of Police. The City MisManager removed 3 qualified White guys
from the list -- 3 former DPD Brass who went on to be successful Police Chiefs
in other cities that are not ranked as the nation's
crime capital. Danny Garcia did not make the consulting
firm's cut, so the City MisManager put his close friend back on the list.

Allen Gwinn stirred things up last week with his letter congratulating Danny
Garcia on his upcoming appointment as Chief. He copied it to the council
and Mayor Miller, and others. The media had a lot of fun with it.
Our Mayor told WBAP and other media that no one has been selected, but she
doesn't know that because ONLY THE CITY MANAGER HIRES AND FIRES THE CHIEF OF
POLICE. Gwinn's letter may have caused the City MisManager some
disconcertation, but Garcia will be the next Chief.

He may be the City MisManager's close friend, but Danny Garcia is not the best
choice for Chief of Police, except as a middle finger gesture to Our Mayor.

Since Miller was very vocal in her disdain for Terrell Bolton (as were most
thinking people in this city), she was blamed for his firing although Benavides
did not even give her a heads up about his plans. Our Mayor was blamed not just
for causing Terrell Bolton to lose his job, but for firing the city's FIRST
AFRICAN-AMERICAN CHIEF OF POLICE.

DFW:The issues of Ted Benavides and the
not-as-yetanointed DPD Chief Garcialeaves a bad taste in mymouth.I read your columns and heard the
radio reportsyou reference about Mr. Gwinn's
letter to City Hall. Isaw Danny Garcia on TV last week putting
the LowerGreenville patrols on hold while Mr.
BarkingDog isinvestigated.Garcia is
responsible for most of the so-called
entertainment districts in
Dallas, and yet all I read is how there is never a coparound when needed on a Friday evening.BarkingDog has tenacity andcourage, but sometimesa big mouth,
too. I don't
believe him to be a criminal.Anxious to
earn a living, yes, but not a crook and nota
thief.Seeing BarkingDog put into the dog
house makes me wonder - Is Garcia trying toscore
points with a small but important section of the
business community - the bars and restaurants.They were
hurt by the Mayor's no smoking rules, andthey were hurt by crime issues, in both Deep Ellum
and Greenville Ave.Even if it is true that they are not
supporting theneighborhood patrols, the least
they could do is stopsending checks while
shooting the invoice writer.They need a break no matter the cost
- and they needsomeone they know, like Garcia, to
give it tothem.Offering BarkingDog's
head on a platter is easy todo.
Cancel the patrols for a month.
Put the fear of God in any other
neighborhood resident who might darespeak out.
Next thing you know no citizens who
live in those areas will dare
speakout without considering the damage to their
family.A horrible website takes great pride
in declaring theimpending death of the Dog and
anyone else whoopposes bars, but he makes a valid
point - The Dogneeds our support andthat this tooshall pass.
Maybe not fast enough to be less vexing,
but it will pass eventually.Send him a letter offering your
support and prayers(if this other website is
correct, he has children whomust be absolutely
fearful of his going to jail, as
unlikely as we hope that might be).BarkingDog needs to know that nomatter what happens he is going to be fine in the endand probably a better person.

Never mind that the bumbling idiot should never have gone above sergeant in the
DPD or that

Bolton cost the city $13 million and more with the demotions he did as Chief
or that

the fake drug scandal happened under Bolton's watch (or lack thereof) or
that

the city ranked as the nation's number one crime capital year after year
while Bolton served as Chief of Police.

Bolton was the city's FIRST
AFRICAN-AMERICAN CHIEF OF POLICE, and the formerly powerful Black Ministers
blamed Our Mayor for his firing.

Can you imagine what will happen if Danny Garcia becomes the city's FIRST
HISPANIC CHIEF OF POLICE, and the next City Manager has to fire him? Since
Miller is in office through May, 2006 and Teddy B will take his million-dollar
retirement package long before that time, she will likely be Mayor when Danny
Garcia gets fired by the next City Manager.

Benavides will get to kill two birds with one stone when he appoints Danny
Garcia as Chief of Police. He gets to shaft Our Mayor and reward his
friend. Pretty sweet!

Unfortunately, it's the citizens of Dallas who will suffer most when Benavides
does name Garcia as Chief. Northwest/Bachman people are already aware of
Garcia's affinity for bars and night clubs, particularly sexually oriented
businesses.

When Ted Benavides leaves his position as City Manager (not a moment too soon),
he will be leaving the city much worse than when he found it when Con Jerk first
made him City Manager. The disease or root rot that he has allowed to
spread at City Hall may not be reversible.

Ted Benavides is not responsible for everything wrong at City Hall, but he has
done little or nothing to put the City back on the right track toward recovery.

sb

Ward politics is the
Devil's key to the soul of the city council. It is how some
council members got themselves in trouble in the past. It is
the bait that will get others in trouble in the future. 4/6/8